Toys and Things by Vickangaroo

Thursday, April 19, 2012

I've been keeping busy. I'm part of a project that I'm going to keep quiet about for now; very involved, challenging, complicated project. I'm quite excited about it!

However, I have also been wanting to do more 2D work recently as a way to get back into a printmaking, which I miss dearly... Layers and colors! I neeed them!

My solution for that is an ongoing series of 4x6" pencil/ink monster doodles. They'll also be for sale on my Etsy shop (which has been a bit lacking recently... I'll fix that soon).

I feel pretty good getting a couple done a day. They're quick and fun, nothing too wild. I'll probably keep throwing them up here and in the shop.

I also need to focus more on drawing from life, really get to practicing those classical drawing skills... Busy, busy, busy...

While I haven't made anything particularly exciting in a while, there's still toys to be made. The work in progress above (having been started very long ago is on track to be finished!) is purple... but the colors were all off on my webcam, hence the lazy filter setting, so you'll just have to wait until it's finished for proper pictures.

Expect more toothy related toys. The cute stuff is fun to make... but new ones have been kind of tough to get just right...

I was going to stop with this post, but nope, let's keep going! Here's a couple more pencil drawings...

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

The sort of face only a mother could love... no... it probably ate it's mother.

oh bloody bunny leftovers...

"Don't worry, we've got the situation under control... Probably..."

The Hazmat/Containment Bunny still needs a bit of reworking and that'll be the official first set of Zombunnies Phase 1. Shall we look forward to Phase 2? A few ideas I've been knocking around include an infected hazmat bunny (those suits probably don't do very much anyway), a survivor bunny (with grizzled beard!), and then... well I don't know! I'll come up with something! As always these bunnies are all available on my Etsy shop!

I also hope to share some illustrations I'm working on! Sooooooon. Ish.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

After spending most of this weekend shirtless on a camping trip to Giant City State Park, I'm back home and trying to finalize the new designs of my zombunnies.

Quick! Sneak peak! Blurry!

There's three of them in the first set of this new zombunnie line, the two above are "Zombunnie" and "Bunny Remnants." The third is a "Containment Bunny." They'll be on sale soon, maybe even by tomorrow, with nice proper pictures.

There's a fair amount more embroidery work on these updated (note: bloodier) bunnies. That means more needlework practice, but it does take a bit longer to finish these.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

“... not more than thirty feet from the shore we could no longer see camp through the dense forest. We could spend the next twenty years standing still in this very spot and we may still be unable to categorize the vast variety of florae before us! After the incident with the Fervoret nest we traveled by tree root; a great deal of them had grown quite large and granted us a steady platform above the wild grasses and flowers on the forest floor.

Despite our particularly advantageous pathway, one of the assistants slipped backward, landing terribly ungracefully upon what at first appeared to be a furry, moss pile. Unexpectedly, it let out a low grumble. It tossed Jenkins aside and darted outward; it’s escape trajectory obviously unplanned as it bumbled straight into the trunk of a smaller tree. Small as it may have been, it knocked that tree enough that we could hear the “plunk plunk” of falling nuts dropping against the roots.

I picked up the poor fellow, which had bumped itself into the tree enough times to have battered itself into a stupor. It’s purple fur meant it was easy to overlook, considering the obscene saturation of purple in all the plants in the area, however it gave itself away with it’s pink belly and a mouthful of teeth looking to burst from it’s lips. The front of it’s head was a bit over sized as well. It would seem likely this little creature was outfitted for bumping into it’s environment. After all, it’s eyes seem nearly completely covered by it’s fur! The little beast floundered in my hands, trying to get back to the ground.

The “Morbull” tottered away, flapping it’s tail in what I’d hope was a farewell gesture.”

Purple! Purple! Purple! It's not that I have an abundance of purple, I've just become quite fond of the color. Also, it's apparently become a part of the environment and the story. Imagine a purple hued forest.... wouldn't a great deal of the creatures evolve to blend into their surroundings? Certainly.

The Morbull is actually supposed to be a lady, because I had originally planned to create a whole bunch of little babies that would dangle on it's back... but I may reserve that idea for another creature the Professor is sure to encounter. I had a whole mess of trouble turning the Morbull outside-in so that I could stuff it fill of that life giving polyester. I came up with more than a few very silly anatomical analogies that I'll keep to myself.

I think my next toy will be.... a tree! What? Of course it'll have teeth. Silly.

I've gotten really excited about Morongo Faust, a character that I've used in the past for a different purpose. I really enjoy typing out his notes and building this strange world he's exploring! I'm already imagining flowers and trees, and every half doodle I come up with is finding a place within this new ecosystem. I don't have a name for the island yet, but that's sure to come soon enough.

I even have the audacity to imagine compiling all of Faust's notes, including all his drawings and sketches, and then printing and binding the entire book! It's a bit nonsensical perhaps and certainly over ambitious, but if not for my ideas who would I be?!

Finally, these last few weeks of summer before the fall semester of college begins again is going to be busy busy busy. I'll be trying to sew as much as possible and complimenting that with some screenprinting. Small runs of simple two or three layer prints which will pop up in my Etsy shop.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

I'm building a world. Professor Morongo Faust is the character that will guide us through it. During the course of his expeditions we'll review his field journal, learning all that he will discover.

More about him another time!

It's only one night after his arrival upon this chain of uncharted islands...

"...we were woken by a rustling within our campsite, upon inspection we discovered that our dried food storage had been raided. Following a trail of dried fish crumbs into the forests, we stumbled upon a small group of small mammal burrowers. Once aware of our presence they pounced! A small nuisance at first, scuttling around and gnawing on our boots, we were soon overcome by their numbers! Dozens upon dozens climbing out of every imaginable crack and chasm in the ground. They climbed upon each other I ordered a retreat to the camp and the team scampered away, more than a few of us tumbling over the growing mounds of the “Fervorets.” Fortunately we’ve observed enough of their nests to hopefully avoid any further unexpected encounters!”

Thursday, August 26, 2010

"Discovered in the South Pacific Ocean west of the southern tip of South America, I've collected a group of them for study! They have four arms and a squiggly top so I'm not particularly sure exactly what they are... your guess is as good as mine!

I've run preliminary tests and have concluded that they love applesauce and cherry soda. I haven't figured out how else to test them but I'm quickly realizing that my laboratory doesn't have nearly enough room for them!

I can't just let them roam the streets of course, so I'm putting them up for adoption.

Squidlets are about 10 inches tall and like all forms of life enjoy staring at shiny objects. They're friendly and looking for a good home!

Each Squidlet is unique and may not be exactly as pictured. This is a listing for 1 White Squidlet.

Squidlets will be delivered USPS Priority, but they'll be trapped inside a plastic zipper bag, get them out quick!"